Cranial remodeling is utilized to correct for deformities in the head shapes of infants. Prior to the development of the Dynamic Orthotic CranioplastySM method of cranial remodeling by Cranial Technologies, Inc, the assignee of the present invention, the only viable approach for correction of cranial deformities was surgical correction of the shape of the cranium. Dynamic Orthotic CranioplastySM utilizes a treatment protocol in which the DOC BAND® cranial remodeling device is custom produced for each subject to be treated.
In the past, custom cranial remodeling devices were produced by first obtaining a full size and accurate cast of the actual head shape of each subject. This cast was then modified to produce a second or desired head shape model. The second or desired head shape model is used to form the cranial remodeling band for the infant. In the past, the second or desired shaped head shape model was obtained by manually modifying the first cast to form the desired shape model.
Cranial Technologies, Inc. continued its pioneering developments with its proprietary DSI® digital image capturing system and its Digital Surface Imaging® methodology for the time efficient and safe image capture of three-dimensional full head images.
More specifically, the DSI® digital image capturing system was and is utilized to capture digital data representative of digital images of a deformed head of a subject.
The DSI® digital image capturing system has been highly successful and effective. However, that system comprises a number of digital cameras that are carried on a structure such that surrounds the subject patient.
It is desirable to provide a system and method that will produce three-dimensional digital images of the entirety of a head of a subject with a structure that has a smaller footprint than the structure utilized in the DSI® digital image capturing system.